Justice is something people experience daily in the workplace through dignity, fairness, voice, and safety. When those things are compromised, the impact is not only professional, it is psychological.

In this conversation, Cristin is joined by mental health expert Stephanie Lewis to explore how prolonged stress, lack of psychological safety, and environments that require constant vigilance affect mental and emotional well-being. While Stephanie does not work with organizations in this capacity, her clinical insights help illuminate the very real human cost of workplace conditions and why mental health cannot be separated from justice.

This episode invites leaders, HR professionals, and high-performing professionals to reflect on how workplace environments shape mental health and what it truly means to create spaces where people feel safe enough to be human.

In This Episode, We Explore

• Why justice is a mental health issue, not just a moral or social one
• How chronic workplace stress and lack of dignity impact the nervous system
• The hidden emotional labor of managing perception and safety at work
• Why individual coping strategies have limits when environments remain unsafe
• How MLK’s legacy challenges leaders to consider the human cost of injustice

MLK and Mental Health

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is often remembered for his courage and conviction, but less frequently for the emotional and psychological toll of his work. Historical accounts and personal writings reflect that Dr. King experienced periods of deep emotional distress, exhaustion, and depression while leading under constant threat, criticism, and pressure.

Recognizing this part of his humanity helps us better understand that sustained exposure to injustice, danger, and moral responsibility carries a real psychological cost. His legacy reminds us that strength and struggle can coexist and that caring for mental health is not a weakness, but a necessity.

Resources Mentioned

Understanding Emotions and Mental Health

• Feelings and Emotions Wheel
• A helpful tool for identifying, naming, and expanding emotional awareness.
• https://feelingswheel.com
• (You can also search “emotion wheel” or “feelings wheel PDF” for printable versions.)

Learning More About MLK’s Humanity

• Bearing the Cross by David J. Garrow
• The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Essays and letters that document the emotional toll of leadership and injustice

Connect With Our Guest

Stephanie Lewis, LPCC-S

Mental Health Professional

• LinkedIn:
• Psychology Today Profile
• Instagram @theperspectiveliaison

Cristin opens up about restarting her podcast after 2.5 years away, rebuilding from scratch after her old recording platform disappeared, and relearning everything, from finding her intro music to testing new tools mid-series.

She shares lessons learned about courage, imperfection, and the unexpected joy of showing up for others when you’re still figuring it out yourself.

Connect with Dr. Jeanette Davis

https://drjeanettedavis.com/

Instagram: @dr_ocean24

Not the kind that comes from doing something wrong, but the quiet, creeping kind that says you should have done more.

More savings. More planning. More hustling.

Cristin invites listeners to lay down the guilt and see the truth: this isn’t a personal failure, it’s a systemic one.

Through reflection, research, and grace, she explores how shame shows up, why it’s misplaced, and what it looks like to choose self-compassion and community care instead.

Reflection Prompts

What stories have I been told, or told myself, about money and worth?

How has shame shown up for me during this shutdown?

What is one thing I can forgive myself for today?

How can I show myself grace right now, not later?

Takeaways

This shutdown for all its uncertainty is showing me something that I really didn't expect.

When everything around you stops, you can finally hear what's actually moving on inside of you.

I started off thinking that this was a pause.

I am now realizing that this may be an inflection point.

This may be the catalyst for the pivot.

If you are listening to this and you are standing at your own crossroads, I am right there with you.

You are not alone. We're all just trying to find our rhythm again.

Take a breath, move what you can.

Remember, freedom is not something you earn.

It's something you return to.

Takeaways

Find a tribe, a group of like-minded women.

Seek those who have been through similar experiences.

Utilize tools and resources from your community.

Don't be too prideful in seeking help.

Avoid self-criticism during tough times.

Give yourself grace and understanding.

Embrace the journey of personal growth.

Support from others can be transformative.

Community can provide essential resources.

Self-compassion is key to resilience.

Whether you consider yourself a dancer or not, this conversation reminds us that movement is medicine. It’s not about choreography — it’s about allowing the body to say what words cannot.

Reflection & Integration Prompts

What emotions might my body be holding that my words haven’t released?

When was the last time I moved simply for joy?

What does my body need today? Rest, rhythm, or release?

How might I integrate small movements (walking, stretching, dancing) into my daily routines as acts of self-care?

What message might my body be trying to send me right now?

In this episode, Cristin invites listeners to slow down and take inventory of what’s still true about who we are, what we value, and what sustains us when life gets uncertain. Through quiet reflection and gentle coaching, this episode helps you reconnect with your internal anchors: love, values, and relationships that remain constant even in chaos.

This episode is a reminder that grounding isn’t about controlling the storm; it’s about remembering what doesn’t move when everything else does.

Reflection & Journaling Prompts

What is still true about me, even when everything else changes?

Who or what helps me remember who I am when I forget?

What values guide me, even in uncertainty?

What does stability feel like in my body, my relationships, or my faith?

How can I return to what’s true for me more often, not just when I’m in crisis?

Drawing on insights from From Grief to Grievance: Combined Axes of Personal and Collective Grief Among Black Americans (Wilson & O’Connor, 2022), Cristin examines how grief among Black women often operates on two levels: personal and collective. From the loss of loved ones to the systemic erosion of security, identity, and belonging, grief has been an ever-present reality in Black life. The episode connects these layers of loss to the mass layoffs of over 300,000 Black women in corporate spaces, the rollback of DEI initiatives, and the broader attacks on education, representation, and community care.

She invites listeners to hold space for their own losses, the seen and unseen, while also granting themselves the grace to slow down, feel, and heal.

Reflection Prompts

What does giving myself grace look like when I’m hurting or uncertain?

How has grief changed my priorities or purpose?

How can I find joy or peace, even in the midst of loss?

Silence is often misunderstood as emptiness or avoidance, but in reality, it is a form of presence. In coaching, silence allows clients to hear themselves think, to access their inner wisdom, and to connect with what matters. In life, silence can help us lower stress, strengthen creativity, and even restore a sense of control when everything else feels uncertain.

Reflection Prompts

How comfortable am I with silence, both in my relationships and within myself?

What emotions or thoughts tend to surface when I’m still? What might they be trying to tell me?

How could I intentionally create more moments of silence in my day or week?

What would happen if I paused before reacting in conversations, at work, or in conflict?

When was the last time I felt at peace in stillness? What conditions helped me get there?

Inspired by HBCU homecomings and the current government shutdown, Cristin reflects on how creating and protecting our “home base” helps us stay grounded in uncertain times.

From love languages to legacy, she unpacks why adults still need homecoming, what it means to come home to yourself, and how we can all cultivate spaces where belonging lives, even when the world feels unstable.

Maslow initially observed that the Blackfoot people’s understanding of fulfillment valued connection over competition, community over self-actualization. Yet, when Maslow published his now-famous model, those cultural foundations were erased, and the Western world embraced a version of human motivation rooted in individualism.

In this episode, Cristin not only examines the difference between the two schools of thought, individualistic versus communal, but also reflects on the humility it takes to acknowledge when we’ve gotten something wrong. She draws parallels between Maslow’s correction and our own lives: the courage to change our minds, own our missteps, and lead with integrity rather than ego.

Instead, she paints a vision of work and community built on trust, reciprocity, and emotional intelligence. This episode asks: What if success felt more like harmony than hustle? What if “feminine” leadership wasn’t just for women, but a blueprint for collective healing in a world out of balance?

Drawing on the writing of Caroline K. Kaltefleiter and Karmeliesha M. Alexander in The Black Girlhood Studies Collection, Cristin explores how Black women and girls have historically used self-care as a form of resistance and survival—not indulgence. What began as a communal and political practice to preserve wellness in the face of systemic harm has now been co-opted into consumer culture: bath bombs, face masks, and luxury retreats that often exclude the very people who created the blueprint for care.

Cristin calls us back to a deeper understanding of self-care — one that centers presence, integrity, and interdependence. Through personal reflection and historical context, she reveals why buying more things won’t heal our exhaustion and how proper self-care invites us to slow down, listen to our bodies, and reconnect with community.

Reflection Questions

What images or products come to mind when you think of self-care and who benefits from them?

How can you redefine self-care as a practice of listening and responding to your real needs?

What does real rest look like for you?

How can you honor the legacy of self-care as survival in your daily routines and leadership?

What happens when she gets tired? When the one everyone leans on realizes she has no one to lean on herself? Cristin explores the quiet exhaustion that comes from carrying others, the fear of being perceived as weak, and the cultural and emotional weight of strength, especially for Black women who have been taught that vulnerability is a luxury they can’t afford.

This conversation invites listeners to rethink what real strength looks like, not as constant doing, but as the courage to pause, to ask for help, and to receive care without guilt. Cristin shares insights from her evidence-based coaching work and her own experiences navigating leadership, motherhood, and rest in uncertain times.

Being strong doesn’t mean you never get tired. It means you know when to stop pretending you’re not.

Reflection Questions

What would it look like for you to ask for and receive help this week?

How can you model softness and rest as a form of leadership in your own circles?

What starts as a stressful moment of lost groceries and repair bills turns into a reflection on how we make decisions when resources feel scarce. Cristin shares how the pressure to “take what you can get,” whether it’s a discounted appliance or a toxic workplace, mirrors the larger story many Black women are living right now: being told to be grateful for the bare minimum, even when something is clearly broken.

This episode is for anyone navigating transition, uncertainty, or a season where “good enough” feels safer than waiting for what’s right. It’s a reminder that you can pause, ask for clarity, and say no, even in the name of self-preservation.

Reflection Questions

In what areas of your life are you accepting “good enough” when you deserve better?

When was the last time you paused before saying yes — and what did that pause reveal?

How do you balance gratitude with self-respect and boundaries?

What’s one situation right now where you could “walk out of the store” instead of settling?

What would choosing differently look like if you fully trusted that better is possible?

Reflection Questions

Use these prompts to turn the model inward and make it personal:

Goal: What’s one thing I want to move toward in this season — personally or professionally?

Reality: Where am I right now? What resources, support, or barriers do I need to acknowledge?

Options: What possibilities or paths can I explore, even small ones?

Will (Way Forward): What one step will I take this week to get closer to my goal?

How can I use this pause to realign, recharge, or rediscover purpose?

Schedule a Chemistry Call

Reflection Questions

In what areas of my life have I been waiting for permission to act?

What would it look like to trust myself — fully — in making decisions that serve my well-being and my family’s needs?

How can I move from fear to discernment when making hard choices?

What stories have I been told about obedience, loyalty, or “staying in line” that no longer serve me?

What’s one small step I can take today that reflects power, not permission?

Through the lens of the RIASEC framework, a career development model created by psychologist John L. Holland, Cristin explores how our natural interests and childhood play patterns can reveal the kind of work that brings us energy, joy, and alignment.

She shares the six RIASEC types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional, and connects each one to the ways we played and explored as children. From building and creating to teaching, organizing, or problem-solving, our early curiosity offers powerful clues about what still drives us today.

Reflection Questions

How did I like to play as a child, and what does that reveal about how I’m wired to work and create?

Which RIASEC types best describe me today, and which have I ignored or suppressed?

How can I use this transition period to explore careers or projects that match my natural interests?

What would it look like to build a life that aligns with how I’m designed to play, not just how I’ve been trained to work?

So many of us believe rest is limited to sleep or time off. But as Cristin explains, you can sleep eight hours and still wake up exhausted if your spirit is depleted, your emotions are heavy, or your mind is overworked.

Reflection Questions

Which type of rest do I need most right now: physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, or spiritual?

What daily habits or relationships drain me, and which ones restore me?

How can I create space for the kind of rest that doesn’t require permission — only intention?

When was the last time I felt truly rested, not just not tired?

What does it look like for me to rest as a form of resistance, not retreat?

She reminds listeners that, like the queen, we have the ability to move in any direction; forward, backward, sideways, or diagonally as long as we move with intention.

This conversation is about alignment, learning to see your gifts, skills, and experiences as divine assets and positioning them so they serve your purpose, your community, and your legacy.

Reflection Questions

What kind of queen am I right now? Bold, patient, strategic, or in need of rest?

How can I diversify my streams without dividing my energy?

What does financial and creative freedom look like for me in this season?

What’s one small move I can make this week to position myself for the next opportunity?

She shares gentle, practical ways to explain the shutdown in age-appropriate language, model calm in chaos, and create moments of stability that remind children: even when systems pause, our connection doesn’t.

This episode is a reminder that our calm presence is the greatest gift we can give our children. That reassurance, honesty, and small rituals of consistency can help them feel safe and grounded, no matter what’s going on in the world.

Because while the government may be shut down, our love, faith, and ability to care for one another are not.

Reflection Prompts for Parents

Use these prompts to center yourself or as journaling practice during this season:

What energy am I modeling for my children right now?

What’s one small, consistent ritual that helps our home feel grounded?

How can I turn this moment into an opportunity for connection?

What truth can I share that reassures without overwhelming?

How can I remind myself, and my children, that joy and safety can still exist, even when things feel uncertain?

From reading and active listening, to compassion, remembering stories and history, to creativity and imagination — these powers shape our relationships, our communities, and our leadership.

Cristin invites listeners to reflect on their own strengths, recognize the extraordinary in the ordinary, and harness these superpowers to bring more ease, presence, and impact into their lives.

Reflection Questions

What are your personal superpowers, the everyday strengths you may have taken for granted?

How can you use these abilities to create impact in your family, community, or workplace?

Which superpower could you nurture or practice more intentionally this week?

How does recognizing your real-life superpowers shift how you see yourself and others?

Instead of seeing uncertainty as something to fear, Cristin invites listeners to treat this moment—the “shutdown,” both literal and metaphorical—as an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reimagine wellness and leadership from the inside out.

Reflection Questions

In what areas of your life do you feel both hypervisible and invisible?

What kind of care would see all of you? Your race, gender, and lived story?

What’s one step you can take toward aligned support this week—whether a conversation, a connection, or a resource?

In this episode, Cristin Candice explores the quiet wisdom of the body — how it often senses what the mind refuses to acknowledge. Drawing on her own experiences navigating uncertainty during the government shutdown, Cristin unpacks how stress, overwork, and suppressed emotion can live in the body long before we find the words for them.

Through storytelling and reflection, she invites listeners to see the body as an ally, a compass guiding us toward rest, boundaries, and healing. This episode reminds us that ease isn’t something we think our way into; it’s something we feel into when we slow down enough to listen.

This conversation blends personal reflection and coaching insights for leaders who are holding space for others while the ground beneath them keeps shifting.

Reflection Questions

What part of your leadership are you being invited to surrender?

How can you shift from control to agency in your current situation?

What practices help you stay grounded when uncertainty rises?

Reflection Questions

When was the last time someone offered help — and I declined? Why?

What would it feel like to accept help without needing to explain or justify it?

How can I model to others (especially those I lead or mentor) that receiving is part of sustainable growth, not failure?

Reflection Questions

Which outdated workplace belief resonated most deeply (or felt most familiar) when you heard this episode?

What one belief would you like to unlearn, and what would you replace it with?

How might your daily choices (in your work, in your relationships) shift if you operated from these new, more liberating beliefs?

Takeaways

Blair experienced a layoff in 2011, which prompted a significant career pivot.

The importance of maintaining a positive mindset during layoffs.

Community support is crucial during times of uncertainty.

Taking a moment to breathe can help in navigating panic and fear.

Career transitions can lead to unexpected opportunities.

Loyalty to companies is often unreciprocated; prioritize personal career goals.

Side hustles can provide financial security and career flexibility.

Reflecting on past experiences can help in future decision-making.

Trusting the process is essential for personal growth.

Emotional well-being is key during career challenges.

Day 6 of the Shutdown,

In this episode, Cristin discusses the importance of reclaiming joy, particularly for federal employees who face trauma and uncertainty. She emphasizes that joy is not a reward but a vital part of survival and resilience. Cristin encourages listeners to find professional joy even during transitions and to redefine their understanding of joy in their lives.

Takeaways

Joy is not a reward; it is essential for survival.

Withholding joy does not protect us; it shrinks us.

Caring for oneself is an act of political warfare.

Joy coexists with grief and struggle.

Professional joy can exist even in difficult times.

Finding small moments of joy can be radical acts.

We must redefine our understanding of joy.

Joy is a form of resistance against oppressive systems.

Choosing tasks that feed our soul is crucial.

We should claim joy in the midst of uncertainty.

Episode 17

Takeaways

Productivity should align with our values, not just output.

Honoring pauses can lead to clarity and creativity.

Tracking energy levels is crucial for meaningful productivity.

Small steps can create significant momentum.

Reconnecting with your 'why' adds purpose to actions.

Reflection is a key part of the creative process.

Embracing uncertainty can open new opportunities.

Listening to your inner self is essential for growth.

Taking imperfect action is better than inaction.

Community and connection are vital during challenging times.

Episode One of the Podcast

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If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

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With over 14 years of healing experience, Meg Watt is a sound healing practitioner and mental health advocate. She attended her first sound healing session in 2019 and experienced massive healing. After experiencing an elimination of work stress, anxiety, depression, asthma, and grief, she became a certified sound healing practitioner in 2020.

She has facilitated over 250 sessions, practiced over 500 hours, and helped over 2000 people alleviate multiple conditions such as (but not limited to) stress, pain, insomnia, menopause symptoms, and high blood pressure.

IG - @soulhealsound | Website - soulhealsound.com

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

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If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

She has facilitated over 250 sessions, practiced over 500 hours, and helped over 2000 people alleviate multiple conditions such as (but not limited to) stress, pain, insomnia, menopause symptoms, and high blood pressure.

Community Sound Healing (Virtual) - March 12th at 8 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88970967194?pwd=VXdxZGZhck5SVllTdkY0RyszZTgyQT09

IG - @soulhealsound | Website - soulhealsound.com

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Instagram - @BrandeisNicole

Facebook Group - Style for Smart Cookies https://www.facebook.com/groups/703996189706387

Getting Dressed Again group coaching - https://style.brandeisnicole.com/gda2022-waitlist

Instagram - @BrandeisNicole

Facebook Group - Style for Smart Cookies https://www.facebook.com/groups/703996189706387

Getting Dressed Again group coaching - https://style.brandeisnicole.com/gda2022-waitlist

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If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

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Through her enlightening and relatable book, Get Up and Get Dressed, Shaquanna helps women remove any self-consciousness towards their style and learn how to “get dressed” in the fullness of God first.

Connect with Shaquanna on LinkedIn and Instagram

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaquannachappelle/

https://www.instagram.com/shaquannachappelle/

Grab a copy of her book shaquannachappelle.com

While you're there, I'd love it if you followed me too!

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If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

Through her enlightening and relatable book, Get Up and Get Dressed, Shaquanna helps women remove any self-consciousness towards their style and learn how to “get dressed” in the fullness of God first.

Connect with Shaquanna on LinkedIn and Instagram

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaquannachappelle/

https://www.instagram.com/shaquannachappelle/

Grab a copy of her book shaquannachappelle.com

While you're there, I'd love it if you followed me too!

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If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

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Erin is a real estate agent, consultant, and fixer with a heart for serving new investors. In this episode, she shares why and how she quit corporate and decided to bet on herself.

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

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If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

Erin is a real estate agent, consultant, and fixer with a heart for serving new investors. In this episode, she shares why and how she quit corporate and decided to bet on herself.

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

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Website: https://soul.theshicollective.com/

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

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If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb

If we're not friends yet, let's connect!

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristin.babb/

On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinbabb/

If you need support creating ease in your life or business, get in touch with me here:

https://linktr.ee/cristinbabb